Safe Drinking Water & Public Toilets: A Luxury For Most Liberians
The next time you throw away a glass of water or use a flush, think about 300 million Africans that do not have access to safe drinking water and live in unhygienic conditions. Africa is a glaring example of the deep pit that exists between the “Haves” and the “Have-nots” in this world.
Rising temperatures, shrinking rivers have aggravated the problem resulting in severe draughts every year. In most countries in West Africa, both animals and humans use the same water source. Not only that, there is no separate source of water for drinking and domestic use. The drinking water is heavily contaminated and is far from “Drinkable”. The water carries germs that cause sleeping sickness, guinea worm, bilharzias, malaria, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, pneumonia and other diseases, and have been causing deaths, particularly amongst children. It’s an irony that in the developed world of iPhones and iPads, there are people and kids that have to walk miles to bring just a pot of drinking water, and again, whether that water would be safe remains a question!
Bore holes and hand pumps may solve the problem, but there is shortage of funds in most villages. The severity of the problem is so grave that almost 50% of the Africans suffer from water borne diseases—the government is only able to meet about 20% of the basic needs of its citizens.
The problem of safe drinking water is further aggravated by lack of sanitation facilities.
For instance, many homes in Liberia do not have built in toilets; they have to rely on public toilets as their restroom. Unfortunately, there are not enough public toilets in Liberia… Therefore, defecation is done in open spaces… As a result, it becomes almost impossible to separate safe water from waste water, further leading to unhygienic, inhuman conditions…
Around 80% of Liberians live in absolute poverty! With average earnings per day being $1 or less, we certainly cannot expect them to buy bottled drinking water! Needless to say, that these people are forced to survive on contaminated water and live in inhuman conditions…
Countries in West Africa, take for example, Liberia, has been struggling with Civil War for over a decade. With massive destruction and displacement of its population, the sewage system is destroyed completely. Over 500,000 of its population is either living in transit camps or in informal settlements, where sanitation remains a key issue! Most residents in Liberia are using pit latrines or onsite septic tanks. However, not all are as lucky, and they are forced to defecate out in the open!
The problem of lack of toilets is intricately related to lack of drinking water and poverty. Although the government and the UN are doing their bit, the funds are insufficient and the poverty and misery of many Liberians insurmountable!
Unless each one of us takes a pledge to do help fellow human beings, take a pledge that every human being has a right to basic necessities such as safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, we are far from being ‘humane’.
Let’s help Liberia, let’s help Africa, because we are proud to be ‘humane’!
